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Federica Cazzaniga is a Senior Portfolio Manager at Partners Group, where she manages private market portfolios across evergreens and closed-ended funds, as well as bespoke mandates. Prior to joining Partners Group, she was a portfolio manager at J.P. Morgan Asset Management and a portfolio advisor at Aksia, a global alternative investment consultant. Miss Cazzaniga holds a BSc and a MSc in Finance from Bocconi University and she is a CFA and CAIA Charterholder. She was recognised by Chief Investment Officer amongst the world’s most influential investment consultants and advisers in their 2021 Knowledge Brokers list. Beyond private markets, her passion for alternative investments extends to wine: she holds the WSET Level 3 Award in Wine and the WSG Champagne Masters and she’s a WSET Diploma Candidate.

Nicola Mauri has served as Chief Investment Officer at Valeur Group since 2019. He brings over two decades of experience in equity and multi-asset investment strategies, and holds a Master of Science in Financial Markets from Bocconi University in Milan. Prior to joining Valeur Group, he was Executive Director at Goldman Sachs, where he acted as a leading Strategist in portfolio optimization and in the development of portfolio protection solutions for European institutional clients. In this capacity, he contributed to the creation of several successful investment funds and products for major European financial institutions, leveraging quantitative and derivatives-based strategies. Earlier in his career, Nicola held similar positions at J.P. Morgan and UBS.

Laura Merlini, CAIA, CIFD, is Managing Director, EMEA, for the CAIA Association since March 2012. She is a senior alternative investment professional with experience in strategic leadership, management skills and alternative investment knowledge in market outreach, brand development, reputation and member engagement. She formerly worked at Fortis Bank in Milan, Madrid, and Geneva. Since obtaining her CAIA Charter Certification in 2007, she has been an active member-volunteer, not only as the Co-founder of the CAIA Iberia Chapter in Madrid in 2008, but also as the Co-head of the CAIA Switzerland Chapter in Geneva as of 2010. Additionally, she chaired the 100 Women in Finance Educational Committee in Geneva between 2016 and 2018. Laura earned a BA in Business Administration at Bocconi University in Milan, received the CEMS MIM (Community of European Management Schools) MSc in International Management in 2002, and is a member of the Inaugural Class (2014) of the Executive Master in Positive Psychology, Leadership and Strategy from IE in Madrid. She strongly believes that governance is the core of a healthy financial industry, and this conviction led her to become a Certified Investment Fund Director accredited by the CIFD Institute in Ireland in 2015. Laura is also currently a member of the UN PRI HF Advisory Committee and a NED at Agave Advisors, an independent wealth manager firm based in Geneva. She is often invited to speak at conferences, roundtables and webinars on alternative investments. Having earned a Sommelier diploma, in her free time, she enjoys wine tasting as well as opera and art.

Andrea Mognon, CFA, is Director at Zarattini & Co Bank, where he is responsible for Asset Management functions. He has over twenty years of experience in the investment industry, with a focus on macro strategies, asset allocation, risk management, and sustainability, including through UCITS funds. He has built a diverse professional background across advisory and portfolio management roles, taking on increasing responsibilities and contributing to the development of investment strategies, products, and services aimed at delivering stable value over time while addressing evolving market and regulatory expectations. Andrea is a CFA Charterholder and a certified Financial Risk Manager (FRM). He holds a degree in Mathematics and has pursued advanced training in finance and leadership.